Richard d



(No Model.)

R. D. A. PARROTT.

APPARATUS FOR GATHERING MINERAL WOOL. No. 396,050.

8 my. h A Va x 1 nd 00 Id. 1 @yw a d W ihvirnn STATES PATENT. Orrrcu.

RICHARD D. A. PARROTT, OF ARDEN, NEIV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LIVINGSTONGIFFORD, OF JERSEY, CITY, NEIV JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR GATHERING MENERAL WOOL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,050, dated January8, 1889.

Application filed February 14, 1888. Serial No. 263,990- (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD D. A. PAR- ItOTT, of Arden, Orange county,State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inApparatus for Gathering Mineral lVool, of which the following is aspecification.

The usual method of gathering the fibers which, when massed together,constitute mineral wool or silicate cotton is to blow them through anaperture or flue into a large room known as a blowing-chamber. A currentof compressed air or steam may be used for this purpose. Escape for thecompressed air and vapors created by the jet or jets is provided for byventilators so constructed and arranged as to catch the fibers which arelight enough to float about on the currents. IV ire screening has beenused for covering the ventilator-openings of the blowirig-chamber, sothat as the currents pass through the meshes the fibers of the mineralwool will be caught on the surface of the wire screening. The settlingof the fibers in large numbers 5 soon forms a mat over the meshes, whichclogs and prevents the escape of the confined currents until theobstructing fibers are removed either by their own gravity or by jarringthe screwing. \Vhere the supply of fluid cinder 0 from theblast-furnaces was intermittent the practice was to remove theaccumulated fibers from the wire screening by jarring or other wise atfrequent intervals during the cessation of the supply of fluid cinder.Since, however, the introduction of the methods employing a continuousflow ofcinder, the frequent removal of the accumulated fibers from thewire screening has necessitated the use of a plurality ofblowing-chambers to be used alternately, so that while the supply offluid cinder was directed into one the accumulated fiber could beremoved from the wire screening of the other.

In the production of mineral wool, particles, spherules, or shot aredetached from the molten stream and projected into the blowingchambcr.The flight of these shot spins out the fiber of the mineral wool. Viththe methods heretofore in use there has been no efficient means in theoperation of the process of separating the shot and the'fibers. The

result has been that the shot have been mixed with the product and havetended toincrease its weight and injure its quality. For purposes ofseparation it has been found necessaryto screen the product by variousdevices requiring the transfer of the mineral wool from theblowing-chamber to other contrivances by hand after the blowing processhas ceased. After the operation of blowing, it has been customary tocollect the product in bags, which necessitated that the attendantshould enter the'blowingchamber and pack it by hand, consuming much timeand breaking the fibers, so as to largely destroy the usefulness thereoffor the production of felts or wadding and the like.

The apparatus which I have invented is designed to proidde means wherebythe operation of gathering the mineral wool may be improved as toefiiciency, economy of time and labor, and as to the quality of theproduct. The apparatus which I am about to describe is what I at presentconsider to be the best form for the embodiment of my invention; but Ido not wish to limit myself to the form described, since I am well awarethat it may be changed in arrangement, construction, and number of partsto a very large extent without departing from the principle of myinvention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a cross-section of the blowing-chamber.Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal section of the same, showing a portionof one of the partitions removed. In this figure, at the left of theblowing-chamber, is represented a cupola in which the rock is melted andfrom which the stream is directed int-o the blowing-chamber. Fig. 3shows an appliance for shaking the apron. 0

a and I) are respectively the walls and roof of an ordinary buildingwhich is to contain the blowing-chamber. lVherever the molten rock islikely to come in contact with the walls of this building it'should beof course lined with a suitable substance to prevent ignition. At oneend of this building is arranged the cupola c of a suitable well-knownconstruction for melting the rock. (Z is a gutter, down which the streamof I00 molten cinder flows, so as to fall over the outlet of the steam.or compressed-air supply- 5 macro pipe c. The escaping steam orcompressed air treat this pipe will blow the stream of moltcn cinderinto the blowing-chamber through an aperture, j. Of course in practicethere may be any number of jets of steam or compressed air, blowing thestream into the l)lowing chamber arranged side by side.

g g, doc, are rollers arranged at the bottom of the l )lowingchamber tosupport and move an endless apron, 71, of wire screening. Any one ormore of these rollers may be driven by any suitable means, so as to movethis endless apron in the direction of the arrow, Fig. though, itdesired, the apron may be moved in the opposite direction ortransversely, according to the requirements of the case and the positionof the sup mrting-rolh ers. This apron may travel in a horizontal planeor on a slightly-inclined plane, if pre t'erred.

1' is a partition extending longitudinally through the building andreaching within a short distance of the roof, so as to dividethe chamberwithin the building into two longitudinal compartments havingCOllIll'lllllhjH- tion with each other over the top of. the partitionand ii are partitions extending, respectively, from the side a of thebuilding and the partition i in a converging direction downwardly to theendless apron 7!, making the bottom of the blowing chamber hoppershaped,so as to direct the contents thereof onto the surface of the endlessapron 7!.

Zis a hopper arranged at the delivery end of the apron 71, so as tocollect the product delivered from the apron for the purpose ot packing.In lieu of this hopper, some conveycr may be substituted in case it isdesired to convey the product to a distance before packing.

an is simply a n'ojectingpartition, which is designed to preventanything falling into the hopper Z excepting what is delivered from thesurface of the apron 72.

n 12, &c., are rollers located on the opposite side of the partition 1'from the rollers g, and preferably in a more elevated position. Theserollers support an endless apron of wire screening, 0, which is moved bythe rollers in either direction, depending upon the end at which it isdesired to deliver the product doposited thereon.

I have lettered the compartment of the blowing-chamber containing theapron 71, A, and the compartment containing the apron 0, ll.

1) is simply a protection against: the escape of the product between theendless apron 71. and the end wall, a, of the lmilding. The endlessaprons 7t and 0 are of wire screening or perforated sheet metal, whichmay be of about one-ifourth inch mesh. The compartment A of theblowing-chamber should be of" sufficimit length to enable the shot tocool somewhat before they strike and to spin outa sullicient quantity ofthe fiber, A length which I should advise would be in the vicinity oftwenty-four feet.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: A jet of compressed air orsteam from the pipe 0 blows a stream of molten cinder into thecompartmtmt A through the opening f. This draft of steam or compressedair entering the compartment A must find its exit therefrom, and Iprovide two coursesthrough which it may escape. One course is downthrough the meshes ot' the endless apron 7b and out into the open airthrough any suitable openings arranged beneath that apron. The othercourse is over the top of the parti tion 1' and down through the meshesof the apron 0 into the compartment 1- from which .it escapes throughany suitable openings communicating with the outer air. Accompanying thedraft of air or steam entering the openin are the shot and fibers. Theseshot are projected toward the opposite end of the compartment A, wherethey either 'l'all, upon the surface of the apron 71v or strike againstsome of the walls of the compartment and drop down upon theapron. Theapron being n-actically free from any accumulation. of fiber atthat partof the compartment A, no obstruction is opposed to the sitting of theshot down through the meshes of the apron. into the shot-pitj beneath,from which it may be removed in any convenient manner. In order tofacilitate the sifting of the shot through the apron, a lateral orvertical motion or vibraticm may be given to the apron 71/ by anysuitable ccmtrivance. A useful contrivanee for this purpose is shown inFig. 3. g is the roller, which. may have short pinsprojecting from itssurface, as shown, to enter the meshes of the apron and prevent anyslip. The journals of this roller are elongated and its bearin arearranged far enough apart to provide for considerable endwise play. 1 isa cam arranged to bear against the end of one journal. 2 is a spring tobear against the end of the opposite journal. The conjoint operation ofthe cam and the spring will .heep up a lateral vibration. Of courseother appliances may be used for producing vibration in this or otherdirections. Having thus gotten rid of the shot, it remains to collect;the fiber. The coarser and heavier portion of the fiber willnaturallyoccupy and fall. to the lowermost portion of the compartment A,and be deposited upon the surface of the apron 7:. The d esccnt of theair or steam draft through the meshes oit' this apron will hasten thedeposit and fix or mat the fibers upon the surface of the apron. Thelighter particles of the fibers will more generally occupy a higherposition in the com iartment A, and, being caught by the upwardcurrents, will be carried over the top of the partition 1i and caughtupon the surface (If the endless apron 0, through which these (nlrrentspass. Thus upon the apron 71. will be obtained one grade of the mineralwool, and upon the apron 0 another grade.

ITS

By multiplying the number of aprons and taking the draft of air for eachat various elevations from the compartment A a still greater separationof the fibers may be accomplished. As the fibers are collected andmatted upon the apron 71, they will be continually moved by the travelof that apron toward the delivery-point at the hopper Z. H ere they canbe removed and packed into bags, or, if it is desired to preserve themin the form ofa bat orfieece for the purpose of the manufacture of feltsor wadding or other similar uses, they may be taken off of the apron 72in that form and carefully guarded against the breaking of the fibersuntil they are conveyed to other machinery, by which the process ofmanufacture is continued. Likewise the fibers deposited upon the apron 0will be constantly delivered at the delivery end thereof and treated asrequired.

By the apparatus above described it will be observed that a singleblowing-chamber will be sufficient to receive a continuous stream ofmolten cinder, the products of the chamber being continuously removedtherefrom, so that the operation may proceed without intermission andwithout requiring the blowing-chamber to be opened or entered for anypurpose. At the same time the shot will be delivered separate from thefibers into the shot-pit, and the various grades of fibers will bedelivered separate from each other, and, if need be, in such form thatthey may be utilized without crushing or breaking the fiber. Thus it isobvious that the quality of the productwill be better, and allsubsequent operations for separating the shot from the fibers may bedispensed with, the time of the operation is reduced to a minimum, andthe labor and personal inconvenience and risk of the laborers are alsoreduced.

Sometimes it may be desirable to employ a suction or exhaust draftthrough one or both of the endless aprons for a greater or less portionof its length. This may be useful to hasten the precipitation of thefibers on the apron or aprons, and also to uniformly distribute themupon the same.- I have shown such an appliance in connection with theupper apron, o.

r is an ordinary exhaust-fan.

s s s are the diverging sides of an airpassage connected at the bottomwith the exhaust of the fan and at the top including any desired sectionof the apronas, for instance, the portion of the apron lying between twoof the rollers, as shown. This exhaust will direct the draft throughthat section of the apron, and while hastening the precipitation of thefibers on it will tend to equalize their accumulation. In lieu of theblower, of course any other eontrivance may be employed to produce anexhaustcurrent.

I claim 1. In an apparatus for gathering mineral wool, the combination,with a blowingchamber, of a traveling meshed screen obstructing thepassage to the outer air,whereby the fibers are arrested from thecurrents and delivered from the blowing-chamber, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an apparatus for gathering mineral wool, the combination, with theblowing-cham ber, of a meshed traveling screen arranged at the bottomthereof, through which the shot are sifted, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for gathering mineral wool, the combination, with theblowing-chamber, of a meshed apron traveling in the opposite directionto that at which the currents enter the chamber, whereby the shotfalling at the further extremity of the chamber fall upon the baresurface of the apron, and are sifted therethrough, and the fibers areaccumulated upon the nearer surface of the apron and delivered thereby,substantially as described.

et. In an apparatus for gathering mineral wool, th e combination, withthe blowing-chamber, of a meshed traveling screen arranged at the bottomthereof and provided with means whereby it is shaken to sift the shot,substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for gathering mineral wool, the blowing-chamberdivided into compartments A and B, each of said compartmentsbeingprovided with a traveling meshed apron and said compartmentscommunicating with each other by an elevated passage,wher eby thecoarser fibers will be separated from the lighter fibers, substantiallyas described.

(5. In an apparatus for gathering mineral wool, the combination, with ablowing-chamber, of a traveling meshed screen obstructing the passage tothe outer air, whereby the fibers are arrested from the currents anddelivered from theblowingchamber, and an airexhaust arranged to induce aforced current through the screen, substantially as described.

RICHARD D. A. PARROTT.

\Vitnesses:

D. H. DRISCOLL, J. E. GREER.

